Conventional manufacturing and assembly of large, complex structures, such as large commercial aircraft and the like, may involve hundreds of single purpose measurement gauges. Each such measurement gauge typically has a specific function, and when a new function is required, a new measurement gauge is designed and fabricated.
In addition, many conventional measurement gauges include an assumption about some aspect of the inspected feature's geometry. For example, a countersink diameter gauge may be based on an assumption that the hole is round, and that there are no chamfers at the edge where the conical stylus of the gauge makes contact. Such gauges typically provide accurate measurements provided that these assumptions are satisfied.
Although desirable results have been achieved using prior art measurement systems, there is room for improvement. For example, in some circumstances, the assumptions included in the operation of a measurement gauge may cause measurement errors that are unacceptable. Furthermore, because the prior art measurement gauges are specialized to a particular purpose, a large number of such gauges may be needed, adding to the overall cost and complexity of the manufacturing and assembly process. Therefore, a generic measurement system, and methods for its calibration and use, capable of acquiring a variety of different measurements without the risk of assumptive errors would be useful.